Michael B. Horn: The Future of Education Policy--Moving from Inputs to Outputs to Outcomes

My colleague, Katherine Mackey, and I have written a new report that should really push the envelope.
Our conclusion is that the majority of education policy continues to focus on rewarding systems that meet certain input measures that are, for the most part, inappropriate for judging online learning.
Focusing on inputs has the effect of locking a system into a set way of doing things and inhibiting innovation; focusing on outcomes, on the other hand, encourages continuous improvement against a set of overall goals, and in this case, can unlock a path toward the creation of a high-quality student-centric education system.
This report is certain to raise some hackles. It already has. In a post on the Education Week's Digital Education blog, a writer spotlighted one policy recommendation, the elimination of teacher-certification requirements, as something she hadn't "heard a lot of talk about."
"Would such a step help ensure quality by forcing educators to focus on outcomes, as Horn and Mackey argue? Or would it potentially undermine the quality of online learning available for those students?" the writer asks.
Well, no one is advocating having unqualified people teach our children. What we are saying in report, Moving from Inputs to Outputs to Outomes is that policymakers need to move beyond input-focused policies that regulate seat time, attendance, student-teacher rations, teacher certification, and enrollment caps--factors that may or may not have to do with learning--and instead move toward outcomes-based policies. Technology can, and will lead the way.
Click here to read the complete study.